To Kill A Mockingbird Character Analysis

Tom Robinson’s character exemplifies the mockingbird because he is a black man who is denied justice based on racial prejudice. After Mayella Ewell accuses Tom of rape, there is no way for him to be judged fairly because the narrow-minded, white townspeople are unable to get past their prejudices towards blacks. At his trial, Tom’s lawyer, Atticus, argues,

Tom Robinson is another mockingbird figure. He was a genuinely caring person who is destroyed by his willingness to help Mayella Ewell. Just like a mockingbird, Robinson never hurt anyone. Yet, he was also persecuted by society for his kindness and his race. Tom Robinson was killed because of his kindness and the color of his skin; “ a harmless songbird that was shot down by a senseless hunter.” Lee uses the character of Tom as a mockingbird figure to express the innocence of the mockingbird and exhibit the narrow-mindedness and biased opinions of the towns folk.

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is set in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. Racism is ever present toward blacks and the trial of Tom Robinson, an African American, clearly displays this. Tom Robinson was accused of raping a white woman. The huge detail in this is that it was a white woman. Racial issues are really brought about because of that detail. People during this time would easily take a white man’s word over that of a black man, so nobody would ever trust Tom Robinson, especially since he was a black man being accused of a crime against a white woman. Tom Robinson really can’t do anything to help his case. The only person that can help him is Atticus. While Atticus does not believe that he will win the case, he knows that it is right to do everything he can to help Tom. He knows right from wrong and he will do everything in his power to help people see that, and to help Tom survive this case. Tom Robinson could also be described as a Mockingbird in this story. If proven innocent, he would be

Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.”

Tom Robinson is portrayed as a mockingbird in this novel, he has done nothing but good in the town of Maycomb, but one issue brought the end to him. Tom Robinson is a great example of a mockingbird they are identical to each other, just like a Mockingbird. Tom follows what he is supposed to do every day, following rules and not causing any problems in his work, which is identical to what a mockingbird does stays inline ever out of it. Even though Tom is a fine young man he has a flaw, he’s a colored man which puts him at a disadvantage over everything no matter what the cause is, this is also a reason he is portrayed as a Mockingbird. Since racism was at a high during that time period it was way easy for colored people to get in trouble, and that's what happened to Tom, he was purposely targeted like he was prey. Alterations happened and Tom Robinson had been sent to the court which was the beginning of the end for Tom. Being a coloured man in a trial, knowing that once you enter the court you have already lost because of the ignorance that the people of the town have just because that they are racist and don’t see any justice for the coloured person is polluted They don’t see the bigger picture beyond the colour of their skin, they are just blinded that is why when Tom proved his innocence at the point where “Thomas Robinson reached around, ran his fingers under his left arm and lifted it. He guided his arm to the Bible and his rubber-like left hand sought contact

Tom Robinson is a mockingbird because he was innocent of the crime that Mayella said he committed. During Tom Robinson's testimony he said, “ …. I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more than the rest of em- …” (page 197) This showed us Tom's character , he simply wanted to help her out of the own kindness of his heart. The local journalist reflected on Tom’s death written in his editorial by referring to it as the, “Senseless slaughter of songbirds...Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson ,but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom

Tom Robinson’s case contributes to how he resembles a mockingbird and shows the injustice of society. Tom Robinson, an African-American man accused of raping a girl named Mayella Ewell, has his case taken to court. Tom is tried in front of a jury of twelve white men along with a white judge which does not display a fair representation of his peers. This results in them finding Tom guilty and sentencing him to death, even though all evidence points to him being innocent. Tom later gets shot while trying to escape prison. Atticus Finch, Tom’s lawyer, says in the beginning of the book, “‘It’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’” (Harper Lee 119). Using the word “sin” shows harming an innocent being would be a very cruel thing to do, especially coming from Atticus. This relates to Tom Robinson’s situation because every piece of evidence from the trial proves he is not guilty, yet he still gets sent to jail and ends up being shot. The town’s newspaper publisher, Mr. Underwood, writes about Tom’s death and says, “ [I] likened Tom’s death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children” (Lee 323). This quote emphasizes the similarities between Tom’s case and a mockingbird. Equally important, it uses words like “senseless” and “slaughter” to further highlight the severity of harming a creature who did nothing wrong. Lee compares Tom Robinson to the “songbirds” because both of them have positive effects on their surroundings and do nothing but be beneficial. Through the case of Tom Robinson, Lee shows the connection with the innocence of Tom to the symbol of a mockingbird.

Therefore, the mockingbird and Robinson's voice commonly are not paid attention to throughout the whole novel. "It couldn't be worse Jack. The only thing we've got is a black man's word against the Ewells. The jury couldn't possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson's word against the Ewells." (88) This quote from Atticus is noteworthy for it implies that regardless of what Tom Robinson claims in the court, the jury is expected to stand on the white man's side. Although the jury at court is supposed to make objective decisions, along the other villagers, he displays a definite bias against the black man. If there is any responsibility that falls upon Tom, it would be the responsibility for chopping wood and providing help for Mayella who is reflected as the loneliest person on earth in the eyes of Scout. However, the mockingbird figure is wrongly accused of things that he has never done or even imagined. Although there is a sufficient amount of proof that Robinson is innocent, it is ignored after all, and he is imprisoned. Emphasizing this, Atticus tells his son Jem: "In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins." (220) This

Tom Robinson is a young, disabled Negro who is charged with the rape of Mayella Ewell. He currently has a wife and three children at home and works in the field of one of Maycomb’s residents. He is a respectable, humble, kind person whom was trying to help Mayella because no one else would. His strong sense of manners and good heart are the reasons he helped Mayella with her chores. Atticus knows that Tom is innocent which is why he is defending Tom in court. After Mayella Ewell makes the charge of rape, Tom's verdict comes not from facts, but from the stereotypes that concerned every resident of Maycomb. They did not take the time to know Tom, but feared and hated him unethically. Tom is a representation of a mockingbird in the story because

I agree with you that Tom Robinson is also a mockingbird in the novel. He really was explained to be a good man who was just trying to help out someone who didn't seem to get enough of it from her family. Tom made the mistake of saying he "felt right sorry for her" (Lee 264), but considering the treatment she got from her father, his feeling was pretty justified. The only problem with it was that he was a black man feeling sorrow for a white woman. It on its own would have likely caused some to rule against him, even if they didn't think he was responsible. Clearly, Tom was innocent, but there was nothing he could do within the law ruled by people who saw him as less than themselves.

Atticus hints that it is morally wrong to kill something or someone innocent, like a mockingbird. This theme is showed later during Tom Robinson’s trial. Even though Tom Robinson was actually innocent, he was found guilty by the jury, so they sent him to prison. In prison, Tom Robinson gave up hope, leading to his death when he tried to escape. Tom Robinson was an innocent “mockingbird” that got killed for something that he did not

Tom Robinson, a character in To Kill a Mockingbird, portrays injustice through Scouts eyes. Scouts father, Atticus Finch, becomes the lawyer of Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson, along with some of his friends, are caught up in a rape trial that they did not commit. Throughout the trial, Scout comes to realize the hypocrisy and racism that is thriving in the community where she lives. Tom and the other boys that were accused of rape were convicted and sentenced to the death penalty. Although Scout knew of their innocence, and not to mention there was no evidence supporting the accusations, they were still sentenced. His conviction is a symbol of injustice because he was good. He hadn’t done anything wrong, and they killed him anyway. It was a sin. Just as it is a sin to kill a mockingbird.

He is being represented by Atticus Finch (p.166). He is a mockingbird character by the virtue of his innocence which was proved in court by Atticus Finch. Yet, despite the spirited defense, Tom was tried and convicted by the jury (p. 215). This highlights a certain institutional bias and political considerations which are unfavourable to certain groups and Tom Robinson was a victim of that very system of institutionalized injustice. The fact that any judicial system would continue to choose the pursuit of a conviction even where a criminal link does not exist shows an erosion of values. Since such an event is sinful because the system is actively trying to deny a person their life, it is a mockingbird event because it is a sin to kill any person in an arbitrary fashion, especially in this case where there was no due

In the story To Kill a Mockingbird it follows the life of Jem and Scout as they grow up in a time of inequality and injustice. In the beginning of the story Scout does not understand Atticus’ life lessons, but as she matures she will. The author tells the story from an older and more mature Scout’s perspective. Harper Lee also uses the voice of Jem to portray the internal and external conflicts in the book. Using Jem’s voice, Lee reveals how a young man can rise above ignorance in their community. This story portrays literary elements such as character, setting, and conflict, this affects the theme that you can not judge people by rumors but by getting to know them.

Tom Robinson is the most easily identifiable mockingbird in this story. Although he is a peaceful, respectful man who helps Mayella Ewell without asking for anything in return, he is falsely accused and dies tragically as a result. Mr. Underwood, Maycomb’s newspaper editor, likens Tom’s death to the “senseless slaughter of innocent songbirds by hunters and children” in the editorial he writes immediately after the Negro’s death. As shooting a mockingbird results in the loss of a sweet song-maker, the death of Tom brings no good fruit—it only satisfies the destructive racial prejudice of the South. Tom is also targeted for the same reasons that mockingbirds are targeted